Marlon Starling a hit at Hampden Country Club

Dave RobackFormer boxer Marlon Starling meets with former boxer Bobby Parsons of Springfield at the Hampden Country Club on Wednesday.

Marlon Starling walked away from boxing on his own terms.

Billy Parsons wasn’t as fortunate.

Parsons’ promising career ended in 1981 following a car accident in Nevada that claimed the life of a friend. Starling quit professional boxing at 32 two decades ago.

The two boxers, who once shared a card at Norwich Armory in 1974 during which the great Willie Pep put on an exhibition, were reunited Wednesday at Hampden Country Club. Starling was a guest at a meet-and-greet for the two-time welterweight champion.

Parsons, who went to the University of Nevada on a boxing scholarship, went on to box in national events and at one time, was ranked fifth in the nation for lightweights.

“Marlon’s right hand was amazing,” said Parsons, who now lives in Springfield. “He was a great fighter and when he walked in a ring, he looked like a boxing God.”

Parsons remembers the fight in 1987, when Starling knocked out Mark Breland to win the WBA belt.

“He really took it to him,” Parsons said. “He was all over him.”

In 1989, Starling won the WBC title following a knockout of Lloyd Honeyghan.

It was clear that Starling and Parsons share a bond that only those who have been in the ring understand. They came up the ranks and Starling, a Hartford native, rose to the top of his profession.

“I’m the only African-American champion from the state of Connecticut,” Starling said.

If he has anything to say about it, he won’t be the last. One of the many things Starling has done as a post-professional, is help young boxers.

Like former Syracuse and Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown, Starling walked away from a sport he dominated at 32.

“‘I fell out of love with it,” he said. “Because of boxing, I learned so much about self-discipline, conditioning, but most of all, I learned about being a good person.”

Starling had a 45-6-1 pro record when he left the sport.

“I was a single parent to my son, Marlon, Jr. and then I had Marcus and Maurice,” Starling said. “I worked a lot of odds and ends jobs before I caught on to working with mentally challenged people.”

Wherever he went, there were the constant reminders that he left too soon. “I have no regrets,” Starling said. “I had pride and I loved the sport of boxing, but when the good Lord says it’s time to do something else, it’s time. I wasn’t 25 anymore.”

He’s 52 now and still looks like he could step in the ring.

“It’s all about respect,” Starling said. “I know I’m not in the greatest shape, but I like to think I look good for an old man.”

He weighs 185 pounds now, compared to the 147 he carried until 1990.

Starling enjoys working with kids.

“I go to the gym and try to be their friend,” he said. “The first thing I ask them, is ‘why do you want to box and how you doing in school.’ I tell them boxing is more than just hitting and throwing punches. Conditioning is 95 percent of the sport. If you want to do this, let’s get in shape and I work out with them.”

Nothing would please him more than to see one of those youngsters succeed.
“If I could do it, anyone can,” he said.